So I took the old rod out this morning with 6wt line and a size 12 micro bugger and caught some gills. Some really nice ones at that. The line speed is way slow and I actually had a little trouble shooting the cast out. I don't know if it is to much line wt? Maybe I need to drop down to say 4 wt. Even with a smaller size 14 adams it just didn't cast well. I may just need way more practice if nothing else. But it is definitly a whole other type of rod compared to my graphite guns.

It's bamboo... Fish it like one... Slow down the pace... Bamboo is slow but also versatile... Meaning with a simple switch of line wt you can slow or speed up a bamboo rod... You could probably cast 4 or 5 different wt lines and they all work with the rod for different actions and applications but in the end a 5wt bamboo will allow one to either throw nymphs or steamers and then when the time comes ever so gently lay out a dry for risers...whether it's a #12 Adams or a #24 trico spinner

Also throwing a more supple line like Cortland classic peach or sylk will help make bamboo cast a ton better

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick k

I'd say drop the line down. To my knowledge, most boo rods are lower weights.

modern day bamboo may be found in smaller wts more than the average bamboo of times past because today's anglers want smaller at rods... Maybe it's the additional bend that gets them all excited... And some are built for very specific purposes but most bamboo is 5wt+... Most of the bamboo rod makers of the time lived out west fishing the big trout rivers out there... Old bamboo under 5wts is tough to come by because there just weren't enough made... And you'll pay a pretty penny for them as well because of their scarcity... Also as I mentioned above... The 5wt bamboo is very versatile and times were simpler then... You didn't need nor could the average joe afford 4-5+ rods... One 5wt bamboo rod could do it all